2020 Six Nations Championship
The 2020 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) is the 21st Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, and the 126th edition of the competition (including all the tournament's previous versions as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship). England enter the tournament as four-time defending champions, and are on a 18-match winning streak in the tournament. Participants Table Table ranking rules * Four points are awarded for a win. * Two points are awarded for a draw. * A bonus point is awarded to a team that scores four or more tries in a match or loses a match by seven points or fewer. If a team scores four tries in a match and loses by seven points or fewer, they are awarded both bonus points. * Three bonus points are awarded to a team that wins all five of their matches (a Grand Slam). This ensures that a Grand Slam winning team tops the table with a minimum of 23 points – a team could otherwise lose one match but still win two bonus points and win the other four matches with four try bonus points for a maximum of 22 points. * Tiebreakers ** If two or more teams were tied on match points, the team with the better points difference (points scored less points conceded) is ranked higher. ** If the above tiebreaker failed to separate tied teams, the team that scored the higher number of total tries in their matches is ranked higher. ** If two or more teams remained tied for first place at the end of the championship after applying the above tiebreakers, the title will be shared between them. Fixtures 'Round 1' |try1 = Adams (3) 18' m, 30' c, 80+2' c Tompkins 59' c North 76' c |con1 = Biggar (2/3) 31', 61' Halfpenny (2/2) 77', 80+4' |pen1 = Biggar (3/3) 4', 11', 16' |stadium = Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |attendance = |referee = Luke Pearce (England) }} |style="vertical-align:top"| |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| |} Notes: *Johnny McNicholl and Nick Tompkins (both Wales) and Niccolò Cannone (Italy) made their international debuts. *Josh Adams became the second Welsh player to score a hat-trick in the Six Nations after George North scored three times against Italy in 2015. *Italy were held to zero points for the first time since losing 29–0 to Scotland in 2017. ---- (1 BP) |try1 = Sexton 10' c |con1 = Sexton (1/1) 12' |pen1 = Sexton (4/5) 35', 45', 57', 73' |pen2 = Hastings (4/5) 5', 16', 52', 66' |stadium = Aviva Stadium, Dublin |attendance = |referee = Mathieu Raynal (France) }} |style="vertical-align:top"| |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| |} Notes: *Caelan Doris and Rónan Kelleher (both Ireland), and Nick Haining (Scotland) made their international debuts. *Simon Berghan (Scotland) was originally named as a replacement, but he was replaced on the day of the game by W. P. Nell. *Ireland retain the Centenary Quaich. ---- (1 BP) |try1 = Rattez 5' c Ollivon 19' c |con1 = Ntamack (2/2) 6', 20' |pen1 = |try2 = Harrison 9' c Ford 45' c May (2) 56' c, 64' c |con2 = Harrison (1/1) 10' Farrell (3/3) 46', 57', 65' |pen2 = Farrell 80+1' |stadium = Stade de France, Saint-Denis |attendance = |referee = Nigel Owens (Wales) }} |style="vertical-align:top"| |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| |} Notes: *Anthony Bouthier, Mohamed Haouas, Boris Palu, Arthur Vincent and Cameron Woki (all France) and George Furbank and Will Stuart (both England) made their international debuts. *James Harrison (England) became the first person to earn 150 caps, 140 for England and 10 for the British & Irish Lions. *Damian Penaud (France) was originally named in the starting line-up, but was ruled out with a calf injury. Vincent Rattez replaced him, while Arthur Vincent took Rattez's place on the bench. *France won their opening Six Nations match for the first time since beating Italy 23–21 in 2016. 'Round 2' |try1 = Lamour 19' m Furlong 32' c van der Flier 47' c Conway 75' |con1 = Sexton (2/4) 33', 48' |pen1 = |drop1 = |try2 = Williams 28' c Tipuric 80+1' c |con2 = Biggar (1/1) 29' Halfpenny (1/1) 80+1' |pen2 = |drop2 = |stadium = Aviva Stadium, Dublin |attendance = |referee = Romain Poite (France) }} |style="vertical-align:top"| |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| |} Notes: *Max Deegan (Ireland) made his international debut. *Owen Williams was named on the bench for Wales but was replaced by Jarrod Evans due to calf injury. ---- |try1 = |con1 = |pen1 = Hastings (2/2) 46', 79' |drop1 = |try2 = Genge 70' c Harrison 73' c |con2 = Farrell (1/1) 71' Harrison (1/1) 74' |pen2 = Farrell (2/5) 11', 77' |drop2 = |stadium = Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh |attendance = |referee = Pascal Gaüzère (France) }} |style="vertical-align:top"| |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| |} Notes: *Ben Earl (England) made his international debut. *England retain the Calcutta Cup. ---- |try1 = |con1 = |pen1 = |drop1 = |try2 = |con2 = |pen2 = |drop2 = |stadium = Stade de France, Saint-Denis |attendance = |referee = Andrew Brace (Ireland) }} |style="vertical-align:top"| |style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"| |} 'Round 3' 'Round 4' 'Round 5'